Science fiction’s most popular hero returns in this week’s science fiction and fantasy releases.

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Blood and Steel (Tranquility #1) – Josh Hayes and Devon C. Ford

They came to start a new life. Now they have to fight for it.

Joel Lander wants nothing more than a fresh start, far from Earth and wars that have left humanity’s birthplace in shambles. Leaving on the second mission to the distant world of Tranquility, Lander and his family plan to build a brand-new life for themselves.

Boasted to be everything Earth wasn’t—clean, unsullied, safe—Lander learns upon arrival that Tranquility is anything but. New Independence has gone dark and it soon becomes clear that he will have to fight a terrifying enemy to save their new home, forcing him back into the very life he’d thought he’d left behind on Earth.

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The Dryad Queen (The King’s Blood #1) – Jon Del Arroz and Morgon Newquist

Magickless and fatherless, gold is Evadne’s way to freedom.

She’s never fit in at home, but her skill at herbalism can buy her way out of a quiet, boring life in her village. But the dead that wander the forests between her home and the city are restless, and instead of earning her fortune, she ends up saving a wayward boy named Tristen from their hunger.

This simple act of saving his life plunges Evadne into a fight for the crown and links her and Tristen forever. And instead of her own destiny, thousands of lives hang in the balance.

She must make a choice: her freedom, or the crown?

Will Evadne seize her destiny? Or will she take her gold and flee for the life she’s dreamed of?

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Green World (Undying Mercenaries #15) – B. V. Larson

Rebels build a secret base on Green World. Their plan is to attack Earth and retake all the planets the Humans have conquered.

Hegemony starships gather to strike the Rebels first, but where is their base? As the fleets search, Earth warships trespass into Skay space igniting a fresh border conflict between rival Galactics.

When James McGill stumbles onto the rebel camp, they’re forced to step up their plans. The world goes up in flames. Friends are permed and cities are destroyed as everything spins out of control.

Can Earth survive?

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Perry Rhodan NEO: Volume 1 – Frank Borsch and Christian Montillon

Perry Rhodan a long-running and popular German space opera franchise. Having sold approximately two billion copies worldwide, it is the most successful science fiction book series ever written. Introduced in 2011, Perry Rhodan NEO is a reimagined version for the 21st century.

Amid crises in politics, climate change, terrorism, and more, humanity’s limited remaining hope lies in science and an increasingly decrepit space program. When a key moon base goes dark, it’s up to chief astronaut Perry Rhodan and his crew to mount a rescue operation – or so the story goes in the press. The truth about Rhodan’s mission, however, is a deeper, greater secret than the public can imagine, and the aftermath of what Rhodan finds will change Earth – if not the entire universe – forever… if there’s still an Earth for him to come home to.

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Rise of Renegades (The Augmented #2) – Ben Hale

Ero has done the impossible. He’s altered the human genome to make slaves more valuable.

From world to world whispers are spreading of these powerful new augments. Branded as renegades, Ero and his brother Skorn are hunted by dangerous enemies, including Visika, the head of the Burning Ghosts, the most feared criminal organization across the Empire.

Hoping to recruit more soldiers for House Bright’Lor, Captain Reklin returns to the Hammerdin homeworld, only to find his family threatened by clan leaders. His best chance to keep his family safe is the Sovereign Crucible—a fight to the death against a clan champion. Reklin has trained his entire life for combat but he cannot survive the coming fight. Not alone.

Siena is one of the new Augments, but while others have only one or two abilities, she has many, and continues to discover more. As her talent rises, she is caught between her tenuous friendship to Ero, Skorn’s ambition, and a growing list of greedy factions. All see her value. None see her courage.

It’s a lethal oversight, because when Siena decides she is done being a slave, the whole of the Empire will feel the chains shatter.

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Soulbrand (Weapons and Wielders #3) – Andrew Rowe

The Tournament of the Sacred Sword sounded like exactly the type of thing Keras would enjoy: a series of challenges for thousands of contestants seeking a chance to fight for the Sacred Sword of Earth. He knew there would be challenges. It wouldn’t be a high-stakes tournament without a few high-profile assassinations and mysterious murders, after all. But Keras wasn’t ready to run into someone from his homeland, and he certainly wasn’t prepared for the revelations that came from their confrontation.

Still reeling from the strange revelations of their meeting, Keras plunges back into the fight, preparing for the battle royale — a massive free-for-all contest outside of the scope of the standard tournament rounds. When the consequences of that match tear at the bonds between his allies, he’ll have to face new challenges alone.

Satoshi Muramasa, the strange swordsman from the distant kingdom of Artinia.
Crown Princess Edria Song, the Wielder of Diamantine.
Ishyeal Dawnsglow, the Wielder of Soulbrand.

When their blades clash, the heart of the world will tremble.

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Subterfuge (Bastion Academy #3) – J. D. Astra

Student. Spy. Son. Enemy.

The Busa-nan student exchange program was designed to foster peace, share the knowledge of core building techniques, and bridge the growing cultural gap between the nearby kingdoms. This year’s exchange looks no different from the outside, but Jiyong and his friends have been tasked with a secret mission: discover the plot of the Kokyu foreign ambassador, Dokun Yamamotto.

Jiyong knew the consequences of accepting the overseas exchange with the Kingdom of Kokyu, but when his disowned father, Hiro Kumiho, and the traitorous Ko-nah Wong get involved, Jiyong’s desire for revenge will take the reins of the mission. An encounter with a new type of cultivation magic gives Jiyong access to a power that can get him the revenge he so dearly craves.

The student spies will be forced to control themselves in all ways if they plan on escaping the hostile kingdom with the knowledge of Dokun’s plans—and their lives.